June 27, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Exodus and Romans? Here’s today’s reading:
Exodus 9 (NIV)
The Plague on Livestock
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats……Continue Reading
Exodus 9
Dead animals, boils hail, and still Pharohs heart was hard.
Makes one think how much trouble we could suffer and still have hard hearts to God.
Exodus 9
Three more plagues are in this chapter. They are livestock, boils, and hail. In these three plagues it is only on the Egyptians while Israel is spared. God is constantly showing His Almighty Power and that He is the Supreme Being over all. It is totally incredible how men chose to worship false gods and not turn to the True and Living God. All this effect just so they won`t worship the True Living God. They chose to worship the creation and not the Creator. Romans 1: 18-25.
The plague on the livestock included cattle, donkeys, horses, camels, sheep, and goats. It was against Hathor, goddess of love, protection, beauty, and music. Their imagery symbolizes fertility, motherhood, and the nurturing aspects of nature. Also associated with the after life. Hathor provided guidance and protection to the souls entering the next world. How foolish and blind to the truth. Plague 6 was the boils which were only upon the Egyptians including the magicians. They also couldn`t stop this for they to were covered. Isis the goddess known for her roles as a healer, protector, and the one who was assumed to bring peace. She was one of the most important gods throughout the history of Ancient Egypt. She was revered not only as a goddess of peace, but also a symbol of magic, motherhood, and fertility. You can see the connection. Again how foolish and blind to actually think that a false god could even hear you. Then there is the plague of hail with fire. This was directed toward Nut known as the goddess of the sky. She is considered the mother of the sun, moon, and stars. Each morning she gave birth to the sun and then be reborn the next day. She was considered also to be the mother of several gods including Osiris, Sis, Seth, and Nephthys. This was a direct challenge to Nut`s domain. Can you imagine hail and fire coming down on Egypt? Again God showing His great power. God bless.
Dennis, what resource did you use for the “gods” the plagues addresses? In my Ezekiel study there are several chapters about Gods destruction of Egypts idols. I would like to reference it.
Exodus 9
Pharaoh hardens his heart. God hardens his heart. Back and forth. God can see everyone’s heart. Pharaoh was never going to sincerely surrender his heart to God. So it didn’t matter who was doing the hardening. Reminds me of Luke 16. The rich man. Please send someone back from the dead to warn my brothers of hell. Even if we sent someone from the dead to warn them. They still won’t believe. Hard to fathom how hard man can harden against such a loving God
Well God makes clear to Pharaoh the purpose of the plagues and that he has been raised up for this task. That is why Pharaoh’s heart needed to be hardened so the full extent of God’s power could be displayed and His name would be known in all the earth. Now God would never harden a heart that was not already hard, but God desires all 10 plagues to be carried out. And so God had to make Pharaoh even more stubborn. Because who could imagine facing all these powerful and devastating things…things that happened just like God said they would at the time that He said it. Pharaoh was certainly used to having his way and not being told what to do, but when God shows up like this…Pharaoh should know that he has more than met his match…
Exodus 9
”But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth. As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go.“
Exodus 9:16-17 NKJV
I don’t think even a man as powerful as Pharoah would stick out his stubbornness through all of this unless God intervened and kept his heart hard. These plagues are so awful and as a leader to go through them yourself and watch your people go through them one would hope he would have enough sense to see and recognize the power of God. I was struck by the fact that despite the warning some people still left thier livestock and slaves out before the hail storm, leading us to believe it wasn’t just Pharoah who’s heart was so hard. Even enduring these plagues the people still didn’t see and understand the power of the one True God!
Exodus 9